Field
The present disclosure relates to utility enclosures and, more particularly, to utility enclosure pedestals.
Description of the Related Art
Utility companies such as water, electric, communication and/or gas utilities often use subterranean passages or tunnels as conduits. For example, cable companies may run underground cables through buried utility boxes having covers at grade for workman access. The utility box often functions as a junction box and may have one or more junctions including taps and/or splitters, where cables can be tapped, split, reworked, etc. as desired. In order to provide ease of access to the cables and to keep the junctions above grade in a relatively dry environment, the utility box may include one or more pedestal enclosures extending above grade from the cover of the main utility box. In order to provide a water resistant seal, the base of the pedestal enclosure is generally permanently mounted to the cover of the main box by rivets, weld, glue, etc. The pedestal enclosure may include an adaptor panel such as a connection panel or patch panel permanently mounted to the pedestal base. Cables run up into the pedestal enclosure through one or more holes or passages provided in the cover of the utility box below the pedestal enclosure. The cables may then be joined at the adapter panel. In order to provide access to the adaptor panel, the pedestal enclosure includes a pedestal cover removably attached to the base of the pedestal enclosure. The pedestal enclosure thus provides ease of access to the cables and junctions and allows the junctions to be maintained above grade in a relatively dry environment.
Utility boxes may be installed in discrete locations and are often provided in locations having vegetation including shrubbery, trees, etc. in order to hide the pedestal enclosure. Over time, as more and more cables are added, the communication system may outgrow the size of the adapter panel and/or pedestal enclosure. At the same time, the vegetation may grow making it difficult to access the contents of the pedestal enclosure in the position it was originally installed. Present pedestal enclosures provide little or no flexibility for dealing with these issues.